Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play 40
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play 40 (2023) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 35/100 (a 54-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 50 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 477,542); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 40 doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 188g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play 40
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 477542
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 746
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 1816
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 5200 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Lighter: 155g vs 188g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 41/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 48/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 44/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 62/100)
What makes Honor Play 40 better?
- Overall rating 35/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play 40, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 54 points higher (89/100 vs 35/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 41/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (77/100 vs 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (97/100 vs 41/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 40 (77/100 vs 48/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 62/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 477542 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 746 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 1816 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.6" TFT LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 10W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB / 8GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 13, Magic OS 7.1 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 163.3×75.1×8.4 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 188 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play 40
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 40
- 6.6" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play 40
- 5200 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play 40 by 827.7% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (97/100 vs 41/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 40 (77/100 vs 48/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 62/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 54 points (89/100 vs 35/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play 40 — 35/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on camera score (87/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 41/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.